Entries tagged with: NewBrunswick

Philly punks The Menzingers are currently on a tour supporting Taking Back Sunday that hit NYC twice last week and which stops at the Paramount in Long Island tonight (3/24). Those are big venue shows, and the Menzingers are just an opener. Their last NYC headlining show was all the way back in May 2014 in the main room at Webster Hall in (also a pretty big show).

Both shows will be opened by killer melodic punks Big Eyes (who have new stuff coming). NJ is also with Philly rippers Cheerbleeders, and NYC is also with the xylophone-fueled Crazy & the Brains. BV's Andrew Sacher is DJing between sets.

Doors for both shows open at 7 PM, and like most RBSS shows, they're $3 at the door with RSVP, or $10 without. No advanced sales. RSVP for NJ here (21+) and NYC here (18+). Even if you RSVP, entry is first come, first served, so get there on time to guarantee you get in!

As discussed, Screaming Females are heading out on a tour with Waxahatchee and Tenement in September, but right before that, they'll play a free outdoor day show in their hometown of New Brunswick in Boyd Park on September 7. The all-Don Giovanni Records lineup also includes sludgy shredders California X, punky indie rockers Black Wine, and pop punks Brick Mower. It's also being hosted by comedian Chris Gethard (who also hosts the BrooklynVegan tent at Lollapalooza). Show starts at 1 PM. Flyer below.

The Screaming Females, Waxahatchee, Tenement tour hits the NYC on 9/14 at MHOW and 9/16 at Bowery Ballroom (tickets) and NJ on 9/28 at Asbury Lanes.

Screamales singer Marissa Paternoster is also touring sooner with her solo project, Noun. That tour hits NYC on 8/9 at Death by Audio with Modern Hut, Shellshag, Worriers, and Mal Blum.

Updated Screaming Females dates are listed, along with the show flyer, below...

Back in July we talked about how New Brunswick bar and music venue Court Tavern was in the process of reopening with a new owner. Well, as people who live in the NJ town surely already know, that happened in December. From the bar's blog:

After nearly a year of being closed The Court Tavern is now open again. Bands are lining up to play again at our famous and well respected venue. A lot has gone into our refurbishment whilst we have been careful to maintain a bit of history about the building and the past life it had.

New owner Mike Barood explains:-

THE COURT TAVERN HAS GAINED A GREAT REPUTATION OVER THE YEARS AND MANY FEATURES INSIDE ARE A TRIBUTE TO THE JOURNEY OF THE BAR AND THE BANDS THAT HAVE PLAYED IN IT.

IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO KEEP THAT DREAM ALIVE ALONGSIDE THE UPDATE WHICH WILL HELP IT LOOK TOWARDS THE FUTURE. MANY LOCAL PEOPLE AND MEDIA WERE DISAPPOINTED WHEN THE TAVERN SHUT AND I FEEL PROUD TO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS GREAT LOCAL SPOT BACK TO LIFE AGAIN.

Meanwhile, though it will never open again, fellow legendary New Brunswick music space The Melody is getting a rebirth as well, but in the form of a reunion. Those 39 and older should keep reading below...

The New Brunswick, NJ punk/DIY scene is one that has been thriving for years, and while some of its bands have achieved widespread recognition, it goes without saying that many others never leave New Jersey and eventually fade out. One of those bands that has gone unfairly overlooked is Stormshadow, who were around from 1995 to 2000. As mentioned, they're reissuing their 1999 album, Set On Destroy, via Don Giovanni Records on February 9, the same day they play the Don Giovanni showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg (tickets). Don Giovanni label head Joe Steinhardt calls the band the reason he co-founded the label ten years ago and though they've been unknown to most people outside of New Brunswick, he describes them as an important influence to all the bands in the scene. That's the album's cover art above and the tracklist is below.

Stormshadow's influence can certainly be heard in the Don Giovanni bands of today and it makes a lot of sense that a label that picked up bands like Lemuria, Black Wine, and Screaming Females are fans of Stormshadow. Their lead vocal duties are split between the Cali hardcore growls of Matty King and the much cleaner Breeders-esque vocals from Sue Werner. It's not unlike the male/female split vocals in Fucked Up's "The Other Shoe," but while Fucked Up often brings in guests to achieve those sounds, Stormshadow are constantly delivering a yin and yang of the clean and the dirty. The band isn't just schizophrenic when it comes to vocals though -- the songs go through tons of ups and downs in their short timespans (most are under two minutes) in the manic manner of The Minutemen, who the band cite as an influence. The record will be available at the Don Giovanni showcase, but until then, you can download the track "Watson Brake," which is making its premiere in this post, at the top of this post, or stream it below, along with another album cut, "Switched On."

We also just spoke to Matty King about the band's reunion, their history, and the New Brunswick scene. Head below to check out the interview and listen to those song streams.

The Court Tavern is closed indefinitely, owner Bobby Albert said on Wednesday.

The venerable New Brunswick club was shut on Wednesday. Albert declined to comment further on the club's closing when reached at his North Brunswick home.

There was no notice of its closing posted at the club at 124 Church St., its website or its Facebook page. Music promoter Andy "Diamond" De Nicolo said that he was not alerted of the club's closing, nor did he known how the situation would affect upcoming shows scheduled there, including the high-profile concert by city punk legends Ensign on Friday. [myCentralJersey.com]

Death Cab For Cutie have just announced a tour that will take place this spring. The tour will see the band being joined on stage by San Francisco's Magik*Magik Orchestra (who often work with John Vanderslice too). All dates are listed below.

The tour hits the NYC-area on April 24 at State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ and (UPDATE: the initial dates Death Cab sent out have changed, and now there's no NJ show) at Beacon Theatre on April 27. The Beacon Theatre show, as well as every other North American date from 4/27 to the band's culminating hometown show at Seattle's Paramount Theatre (5/13) will be opened by Youth Lagoon, who has a headlining tour of his own that hits NYC for two sold out shows on 3/27 at Bowery Ballroom with Dana Buoy (of Akron/Family) and 4/28 at MHOW.

Fan Club pre-sale for all dates on the tour begins Friday (1/20) at noon and includes regular pre-sale tickets and the option for a limited number of DCFC t-shirt and poster bundles. Tickets for the Beacon Theatre show go on sale Friday, 1/27 at noon.

Weird Alwas scheduled to play a show at Monmouth University tonight (5/19), but at some point that show moved much closer to Rutgers University. Weird Al will perform at New Brunswick's State Theatre TONIGHT, May 19th and tickets are still available! (which is a crime, but good for those waiting for the last minute or who are finding out right this second as they read this post). Al, who hits Bergen Performing Arts Center on Saturday (Steve Martin plays there tonight), has also added many more dates since we last spoke and they are all listed below...

Gorilla Biscuits will return from the dead to play the annual Black & Blue Bowl (previously the Superbowl of Hardcore) on May 28th at Webster Hall alongside Agnostic Front (playing a special set), Terror, Antidote, Absolution, Down to Nothing, Maximum Penalty, No Turning Back, Backtrack, Take Offense, Bottom Out, and a secret guest. Tickets will be on sale soon on PitchforkNY.com, and at places like Lotus Tattoo in Sayville (Civ's tattoo shop), NYHC tattoos (Vinnie Stigma and Jimmy Gestapo's shop), Generation Records, and maybe other spots. There will also be some tickets saved to sell at the door, though the show will sell out.

Meanwhile, Walter Schriefels' more current project Rival Schools are readying the release of their new LP Pedals (out 3/8 on Photo Finish/Atlantic Records). The band begins a stint of dates in Chicago tonight (3/2) that include a record release party at Santos Party House on March 8th. Tickets are still on sale.

Want a a 180 gram vinyl copy of Pedals and a 24"x36" Pedals lithograph signed by Ian, Walter, Sam and Cache? Details on how to win all of that and a picture of it, plus two new Rival Schools videos, all tour dates and more, below...

Screaming Females ripped through an amazing set at SUNY Purchase Friday night. Despite some unfortunate conditions, including a fickle PA speaker and an overly rowdy crowd breaking a cymbal stand, Screaming Females did not disappoint. Their set (a solid mix of old and new songs) was not only rewarding to the long time Screaming Females fan, but I can guarantee that the band made a handful of new fans at the show.

I also had a chance to sit down with the members of Screaming Females and ask them a few questions before they went on:

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BV: Welcome to Purchase, have you guys played here before?

Jarrett: Nope.

BV: Do you know anyone who went here?

Jarrett: Yeah, 2 members of Cheeky went here. They were a really great band that broke up a few years ago who we played a bunch of shows with.

BV: Awesome. So, Saturday you guys are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg where I saw you at the BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase. You sounded amazing that night. Are you looking forward to playing there again?

Jarrett: Yeah, I really like that venue a lot.Marissa: We've played there a bunch, it's nice. The security guys really likes us. I don't know his name but he's a nice guy. I hope he's there tomorrow.Jarrett: It's a cool venue. I remember when it was North Six and it was a hellhole, now it's really nice. I'd say it's one of the best places in New York to play.Mike: It's a good place to bring your parents.Marissa: Yeah, it's a good place for your parents to come see you. There's like parent quarantine. There's a little pen for them, like where you keep your puppy.

BV: What other places do you guys like playing in NYC?

Mike: Death By Audio is really, really cool. Pretty much everywhere except Trash Bar. (Laughs)Jarrett: Yeah, anywhere you can play except Trash Bar, it's like the worst venue.

"My solo stuff is hard to describe, I haven't been too active about it because I'm really shy, and it's hard for me open up. With Vivian Girls Katy is not shy, she's really good at saying, "listen to my band, come and see my show!" Which I think is awesome, and is one of the reason we were able to do so well because she's so enthusiastic about everything she does, but I'm not like that, I'm more introverted with my artistic endeavors. My stuff that's not Vivian girls is more folksy I would say. I have some keyboard organ songs, it's all over the place really, but I think I'm going to try to record an album over the summer, if I can get it together enough." [CASSIE RAMONE]

Vivian Girls have upcoming shows too - soon even. You can catch them in their college town of New Brunswick, NJ on Saturday night at a place called Fuck Mountain. It's a basement show. Big Troubles and Coasting are also on the bill which is convenient for Coasting drummer Fiona who is in both bands. Vivian Girls are also playing ATP NY. All dates below..

For nearly 50 years the Court Tavern has been a New Brunswick fixture. Since the early 1980s it also has been a vital part of the state's rock scene, hosting up-and-coming bands such as the Smithereens, which later returned the favor by donating one of its platinum albums to the small club.

But the slow economy following a re-financing effort a couple of years ago bought the owners, Bobby and Eileen Albert, to the brink of closure, with a 4 p.m. deadline today to pay $20,000 in back taxes and city fees or face foreclosure.

In the pre-dawn hours [on December 15th], Eileen Albert posted messages on the club's Facebook and MySpace Web pages, the Alberts discovered how their club had touched people across the country, and beyond.

The first call came in at about 2 a.m. from a former employee the Alberts hadn't seen in 15 years, offering to give $500 to $1,000.

"It's been like wildfire," said Eileen Albert. "It's been crazy. There's 20 messages on the phone now."

Former customers and employees from as far away as Washington state called to help. A member of a band that had played at the club years ago called from London, where he heard of the financial problems.

By 12:30 p.m. Bobby Albert found a line of more than 15 people outside the door with envelopes of money and checks.

Then came a longtime family friend, who walked in and handed over a $20,000 check. [NJ.com]

The Walter Schreifels Band, led by Walter Schreifels of Quicksand, Gorilla Biscuits Civ, Rival Schools, and Youth of Today fame, performed at the BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 20th (with Fanfarlo, Laura Marling, The Antlers, Think About Life, and The Wheel.) Since then, the band (which also features Dave Hill on guitar and Arthur Smilios of GB/Civ on bass) played another show in Austin. They were actually on the same bill as Voxtrot at the Mohawk on Saturday night. It was a Fun Fun Fun Fest afterparty and Walter and Arthur were already in town because Gorilla Biscuits played the fest proper (those pics coming soon).

Walter's next show will take place this Saturday night, 11/14, at the Court Tavern in New Brunswick, NJ. Also on the bill are Atlantic/Pacific (Garrett from Texas Is The Reason), Dave Walsh (The Loved Ones), and Tom Dunphy. Walter is also making an appearance at Lolita Bar in NYC on Wednesday, 11/18, but at that...

"I'll be reading with this Italian translator reading some choice Italian pop songs in translation, A banjo playing double decker bus tour guide and the beautiful banshee Kamara Thomas from Earl Greyhound."

He also has two shows coming up in California. All dates, the NJ flyer, with more pictures, video, and the setlist from CMJ, below...

Nashville's hard-rockin' duo JEFF the Brotherhood are invading the NYC-area for five shows in as many days, including two separate record-release shows at Death by Audio for their two new split-7"s. The first 7" and DbA show (Sunday, 4/19) is with Brooklyn two-piece Sisters. The second 7" and DbA show (Monday, 4/20) is with New Brunswick, NJ's Screaming Females. Other NYC dates include Market Hotel, and Death by Audio again. All dates below.

[Jeff the...] Brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall are Nashville scene mainstays, and were at one point both in Be Your Own Pet. Says the Nashville branch of The Deli:

When it comes to JEFF the Brotherhood and Nashville, there are two kinds of people: those that love their music and those who haven't heard it yet. If you are in the former group, you most likely already own this album; if you belong to the latter, then stop reading this and go buy it right now. JEFF's fast-paced blend of psychedelic garage rock has been waking up neighbors from surrounding basements for a few years now, and as a result a steady fan base has emerged. The Orrall brothers (Jake and Jamin) certainly seem to know what they're doing--their last release, Castle Storm, received a positive response from practically everyone who heard it, and now they're back with a new album, The Boys R Back in Town. JEFF's songs are similar to a shot of whiskey. They're short, they're sweet, and they hit hard.

I picked up the Jeff/Sisters 7" at Sisters' show at Dead Herring this past weekend and both sides are pretty good. The show was my introduction to Sisters and I left a fan. For just two guys (singer Aaron Pfannebecker and drummer Matt Conboy), they use a massive stack of amps (and effects pedals) which makes for great knock-you-back indie rock a la Dinosaur Jr., Husker Du or Isn't Anything-era My Bloody Valentine.

Sisters

Sisters' debut album is due out on Death by Audio Records this summer. They've got more shows coming up in addition to Sunday's 7" release party and all the dates are at the bottom of this post.

Screaming Females

Screaming Females, meanwhile, only feature one female, singer Marissa Paternoster... but her pipes have the power of a gang of girls. In addition to the split-7' with Jeff the Brotherhood, their new full-length, Power Move, came out April 14th, and have been getting a lot of attention, most recently in this week's Village Voice:

Whether they're making the floor tremble at Brooklyn DIY hot spot Silent Barn, playing beneath a perilously low and crumbling ceiling in New Brunswick, or performing all lit up at the Music Hall of Williamsburg (where they recently opened for Throwing Muses), a Screaming Females show is a noisy, thrilling thing. Wearing a trademark vintage mandarin dress as she wails and pumps out frenetic riffs, Paternoster's bangs fall over her eyes, her mouth stretched in a cartoonish oval that echoes her glossy bowl-cut as her voice swoops between throat-bleeding howls and catchy choruses, the disciplined racket of the rhythm section seething behind her. The band's new full-length, Power Move, their third, is full of prickly rock and darkly clever tunes that blend angsty yelling, feverish melodies, and guitar-goddess solos in ways that variously recall Sleater-Kinney, Fugazi, and the Gits, with occasional hints of the kind of slinky, dirty blues perfected by the Gossip.

Check out their track, "Bell," at the top of this post. Tour dates and videos for all three bands after the jump...

Trap Them played two area shows in the past few days, April 8th at a New Brunswick, NJ basement show, and April 11th at the much bigger Gramercy Theater supporting the mighty Napalm Death. Justina caught the quartet in NJ (pics in this post), and though she missed their set at Gramercy, she did catch them outside the venue (the other pics in this post). I caught their Gramercy set.

Coming on at 7:30 as the first of a five band lineup is no easy task, but Trap Them played a tight set of hardcore and grind influenced Swedish Death Metal to the half-full Gramercy Theater. Fantastic as always, but now with new drummer Jeff Lohrber (Harlots, Dead To Fall, Today Is The Day). He replaced Mike Justain. Admittedly, Lohrber was off putting at first; he is so smooth and relaxed behind the kit, playing blast beats like he's in a jazz band. It took me a few songs to realize that this smiling drummer was actually pulling it off, and well. I will miss the showy intensity of Mike Justian, but Lohrber got skills.

You'll have more chances to check out Lohrber and Trap Them in the coming months, as the band lined up more tour dates with Swedish d-beat monsters Victims and promising newcomers Black Breath including May 25th at Lit Lounge as part of the Precious Metal 3rd Anniversary and June 11th at The Charleston. All dates below.

Seattle's Black Breath recently dropped their self-released EP Razor To Oblivion, and are streaming the whole thing at their myspace. The band has also made the title track available for download, check out "Razor To Oblivion" above.

New Brunswick's own The Gaslight Anthem announced a big tour for 2009 that includes a trip through Europe, a stop at Langerado, and a headlining show at Webster Hall in NYC (tix on sale Jan 7), BUT FIRST you can also catch them this Sunday, December 28th, when they open for The Bouncing Souls at Convention Hall in Asbury Park (tix on sale now). All dates, and video from their recent appearance on Conan, below...